A study on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, transfer learning, and Mnet model for Cervical Cancer Detection
This work addresses the need for efficient and interpretable AI models in medical diagnosis for cervical cancer detection, though it is incremental as it builds on existing CNN and transfer learning methods.
The study tackled cervical cancer detection from Pap smear images by developing a lightweight CNN model, S-Net, which achieved 99.99% accuracy and outperformed SOTA CNNs in computational efficiency and inference time, while also integrating XAI techniques for interpretability.
Early and accurate detection through Pap smear analysis is critical to improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality of Cervical cancer. State-of-the-art (SOTA) Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) require substantial computational resources, extended training time, and large datasets. In this study, a lightweight CNN model, S-Net (Simple Net), is developed specifically for cervical cancer detection and classification using Pap smear images to address these limitations. Alongside S-Net, six SOTA CNNs were evaluated using transfer learning, including multi-path (DenseNet201, ResNet152), depth-based (Serasnet152), width-based multi-connection (Xception), depth-wise separable convolutions (MobileNetV2), and spatial exploitation-based (VGG19). All models, including S-Net, achieved comparable accuracy, with S-Net reaching 99.99%. However, S-Net significantly outperforms the SOTA CNNs in terms of computational efficiency and inference time, making it a more practical choice for real-time and resource-constrained applications. A major limitation in CNN-based medical diagnosis remains the lack of transparency in the decision-making process. To address this, Explainable AI (XAI) techniques, such as SHAP, LIME, and Grad-CAM, were employed to visualize and interpret the key image regions influencing model predictions. The novelty of this study lies in the development of a highly accurate yet computationally lightweight model (S-Net) caPable of rapid inference while maintaining interpretability through XAI integration. Furthermore, this work analyzes the behavior of SOTA CNNs, investigates the effects of negative transfer learning on Pap smear images, and examines pixel intensity patterns in correctly and incorrectly classified samples.